Well, I'm new at this website and I'm 13 from Massachusetts. When I was going through my loose plot I realized my villain was just a cut out board. I want to give him life. Does anybody have any adhesives, background ect... ideas? My villain is a sadistic King (fantasy/Scifi genre) who is determined to wipe out all of one race because of their religion. His daughter is rebellious and takes the other races side (she is one of my Main Characters) and he has a loyal son. Any help?
I think it will be difficult to round out King Adolph Hitler. Even if you reveal why he finds that religion so threatening to him or to his people, it is very difficult to come up with a plausible reason for genocide that amounts to much more than "well, he's EVIL."
fleshing out a character What makes him tick? Beyond hating a religion, why does he want the power? does he want it all for himself? Did the religion wrong him somehow? Did someone die because of it's teachings? Does he, himself, want to be viewed at "God?" All of those are questions you could, and probably should, answer, giving your character more life. Remember, most basic human motivations for almost everything we do are based off money, power or sex. Which of those three drive your King? Hopefully, this will help.
Well, as Cogito pointed out, it would be crucial to point out the King's motive for genocide. Most likely a personal wrong done by them that he was on the recieving end of... A good idea (if orchestrated well) would be to portray the good side of him too. Maybe he's doing it because he believes he's protecting his people. Maybe he's just suffering from some ailment (chronic depression, schizophrenia, etc) that's playing a part in his decisions. That's all I got, man. Hope it helps. Teenaged writers unite!
Hey, there. I don't know if these suggestions are gonna help, but I'm posting them in case they do. As Iron_Seitz said, show his good side. People aren't black and white, but shades of grey. Perhaps use a series of events that happened to him/his family that's made him this way rather than trying to think of one turning point - trust me, it's a LOT easier. Make sure you tap into his feelings to make him seem real rather than just an object. I don't think this is what Cogito was suggesting, but maybe you could research Adolf Hitler. Just think about your villian alot and come up with scenarios that happened to him before, maybe that you don't even put in the book. Just don't start to reason with him so much that you turn to his views.
Thanks guys! All your advice has helped. I think I will so a little research on Hitler. I understand all of what you've said. I want my readers to hate my villain but, I don't want him to be EVIL (no one is evil). I need him to be justified in his own mind. I think I might use "he wants to be GOD" somewhere (nice suggestion)! Thank you all again. And Iron Seitz, "Teenaged Writers Unite!"
just remember what motivates people and you'll be okay. if you're gonna research Hitler and understand his motivations, you might ahve to read, as repugnant as it is, Mein Kamp. I own a copy I read after taking a class on the history of nazi germany for my bachelor's degree. It gave good insight into the thoughts of "evil"
I just did a little research and it says no one really knows. That it could be his beliefs (most likely), thirst for power and the want for Germany to be the strongest country, even sexual reasons.
Sorry about above (still new)...what about if the King believed (or made his country believe) that the other religious group was going to attack them first or wanted to gain world control...ect.
Perhaps, the King wanted his country to believe the other religious group was going to attack first so he could go about his 'killing ways' without being disturbed that he was a murder...he's king afterall, people would believe and follow him with little resistance (plus their common religion against the group). Now, I need a motive for his killing, not hatred for the group. Maybe, past events?
that's doable, you just need to flesh it, is this his personal belief? Is he getting bad inteligence from someone for their own gain? (which would make a good story-line for today's times in America) Or does he hate the leader of the religion? Ask yourself basic questions along those lines, and you can flesh out your character.
Well, I'd caution against the King actually believing the group would attack his people. That might be seen as a legitimate reason for his actions (it's a stretch, but possible!) Maybe as time goes on he believes it, for the sole reason that he becomes less mentally stable. ;-)
Well giving the character a dynamic background is always a good idea rather that character be a bit part or a central figure. This king hates people because of a religion, very Hitler indeed but perhaps a straight out Hitler like character would not be a good plot point. There are countless stories out there like the one you described, so you must make the hero, the heroine and the villain stand out. Small changes like making the main hero the daughter of the evil king and her male counterpart the secondary character can make a large impact... I mean look at Alien as a example for storywriting like this, Alien was a break out film because it took the movie monster genre to a new level because before it the main hero was the "strong courageous man with dashing good looks" but Alien changed the playing field. Dynamic characters and good plot points are what make a story stand out in my experience.
What if the King was a former member of the religious group. Something happened (a death of a loved one?) That made him change sides. Now as King, he wants revenge . He gives false information to his country saying the group will attack and that they showed move first. No one would suspect. *I also think my idea about the King's daughter is cliche. Maybe, as given above, the King could be getting false information from a partner. In which case the cliche that the antagonist is the King is gone and the King's daughter is gone. I'm still open for ideas. Thanks for everyones help!
